Seattle Animal Shelter news and events

Meet and greet furry, scaly and feathered critters, photo booth and more

Creeptacular returns to Seattle Animal Shelter on Saturday, Oct. 6, as the shelter dons spooky decorations and invites the public to meet and greet furry, scaly and feathered critters. From 1-4 p.m., visitors to this free, kid- and adult-friendly experience can pet and feed guinea pigs, come to face to face with lizards and delight in the antics of turtles and mice.

“We’re thrilled to host Creeptacular for a second year to bring attention to adoptable animals beyond cats and dogs,” said Ann Graves, Seattle Animal Shelter executive director. “Critters come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, with different personalities and characteristics and requiring specific care. We would love to introduce you to our critters – they may be the perfect animal for your family.”

Shelter staff and volunteers, as well as representatives from the Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society, All Parrot Rescue and Washington Ferret Rescue, will be on hand to share information about critter care. Attendees can also capture the day’s festivities in the Creeptacular photo booth.

Critters – as well as cats and dogs – will be available for adoption all day.

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open from 1-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday for adoptions and licensing. For more information, call 206-386-PETS (7387) or visit http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Three baby bunnies “crash” the feline-focused event

While the kittens were the main attraction at Kitty Hall, this year’s event brought party crashers – in the form of three adorable baby bunnies. For the fifth straight year, Seattle City Hall became “Kitty Hall” for the day, renamed in a proclamation by Mayor Jenny Durkan. The Kitty Hall event highlighted the Seattle Animal Shelter’s adoptable cats and its foster program, with eight kittens on hand rotating through a tent for the public to meet and play with. This year, the shelter surprised eventgoers with a second tent and the opportunity to also cuddle bunnies.

“While Kitty Hall will always be first and foremost about the cats and kittens, we happened to have these bunnies in our care and thought this was a great opportunity to introduce the Kitty Hall audience to our critter program,” said Ann Graves, Seattle Animal Shelter executive director. “When people think of adoptable animals, dogs and cats are usually the animals that come to mind. We also want the community to be aware of the bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, mice, reptiles and other critters that we place in forever homes, too.”

During the Kitty Hall event, three kittens visited Mayor Durkan in her office before she arrived to tour Kitty Hall, read the Kitty Hall proclamation and great attendees. Shelter staff accepted seven adoption applications for kittens at the event, hosted a photo booth for eager kitten cuddlers and offered attendees information about pet licensing, shelter programs and services and other adoptable animals.

Attendees were also invited to vote in the Kitty Council election, which featured three adult cats campaigning to be the “Kitty Council president.” Some of the cats’ “platforms” included advocating for spaying and neutering, pet licenses for cats and “adopt, don’t shop.” Although votes are still coming in through the online election platform, with almost 57 percent of the votes so far, Samantha, a 15-year-old domestic shorthair mix, is emerging as the new Kitty Council president.

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open 1-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday for adoptions and licensing. For more information, call 206-386-PETS (7387) or visit http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

City Hall to become “Kitty Hall” for the day

CORRECTED: This post originally listed the event ending at 1:30 p.m. This has been updated to 1 p.m.

The kittens are back! The fifth annual Kitty Hall returns to Seattle on Thursday, Aug. 30. Mayor Jenny Durkan will issue a proclamation renaming City Hall as “Kitty Hall” for the day, and the public is invited to meet, greet and, of course, cuddle kittens.

Seattle Animal Shelter, which hosts the Kitty Hall event, will provide at least two tents where the public can spend a couple of minutes with roaming kittens. Also returning this year is the “Kitty Council,” which features adoptable adult cats vying to be named the “Kitty Council president.” The event will include a kitten photo booth and educational displays about the Seattle Animal Shelter and its programs, and Seattle residents will be able to purchase pet licenses for their cats and dogs.

“The Seattle Animal Shelter provides some amazing services for both the people of Seattle and all of their furry friends,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Whether you’re looking to find your lost pet, purchase or renew a pet license or adopt a new pet for your family, the Seattle Animal Shelter is there for you. We are always looking for ways to make sure people are aware of the great work the shelter is doing in Seattle, and Kitty Hall is the PURR-fect opportunity to bring our pet-loving community together – and hopefully find good homes for some adorable kittens.”

Kitty Hall highlights the shelter’s foster care program and promotes shelter cat adoptions. Most of the kittens and the cats at Monday’s event will be available for adoption, and potential adopters at Kitty Hall can place “first choice” holds on their favorite kitten or cat.

“Kitty Hall is an amazing way for the Seattle Animal Shelter to highlight our adoptable kittens and cats and raise awareness about the lifesaving work that we do,” said Ann Graves, Seattle Animal Shelter executive director. “But we also love this event because of the joy it creates. It’s a family-friendly place where you can cuddle kittens – what’s not to love?”

Seattle Animal Shelter created the first Kitty Hall in 2014. At least nine other cities and rescue organizations across the United States have since adopted the idea for their own Kitty Hall events.

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open 1-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday for adoptions and licensing. For more information, call 206-386-PETS (7387) or visit http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Shelter overflowing with cats and critters

The number of adoptable cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds and reptiles coming under the Seattle Animal Shelter’s care this summer has steadily increased, so the shelter is offering a special promotion to find them forever homes. To ensure the shelter has plenty of space to help animals in need, through this weekend adoption fees are waived on all adoptable cats and critters such as rabbits, guinea pigs, reptiles and birds. This offer is made possible through a grant from the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.

With this special offer, from July 18-22, adopters pay only the cost of a pet license, if applicable. Regular adoption fees are available online at http://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/adopt/adoption-fees. Seattle residents adopting an animal will be required to purchase a pet license, which ranges from $24-$48.

The discount applies to cats and critters in the shelter and in foster care. For animals in foster care, any application received during the period will receive the discounted price, even if the actual adoption happens later. The adoption package includes:

Initial vaccinations.

Spay or neuter (for cats and rabbits).

Microchip with registration.

Feline leukemia/feline immunodeficiency testing (cats only).

Certificate for a free health exam at local veterinarians.

$20 coupon for Mud Bay.

30-day pet insurance policy from PetHealth.

“This time of year, our adult cats and critters often get overlooked. It’s the perfect time to meet a variety of cats and critters to choose your perfect new family member,” said Ann Graves, Seattle Animal Shelter executive director. “This timely grant from the foundation allows us to find loving families for our adoptable cats and critters so that our staff can focus on the continuing needs of new animals coming to the shelter.”

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open from 1-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday for adoptions. For more information, call 206-386-PETS (7387) or visit http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Have you ever thought about bringing home a furry valentine? If so, join Seattle Animal Shelter volunteers on Valentine’s Day to learn more about adopting, fostering or becoming a fospice (foster-hospice) caregiver. Visit the Phinney Neighborhood Association website for more details.

If you’re looking for a gift that gives back or need a 2018 calendar filled with adorable dogs and cats, then the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation 2018 Wall Calendar is a great option. For the first time, it’s available on Amazon.com and Prime shipping is included. Cost is $25 and proceeds go to support animal welfare, health and happiness at the Seattle Animal Shelter.

The calendar features dogs and cats who are beloved pets of Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation supporters. Every year at SASF’s Raining Cats and Dogs Auction, the bidding to win the cover or a month on the calendar is highly competitive and coveted. And SASF is happy to share the end result just in time for the holiday season before we head into 2018.

Cover and calendar pet photos were done by Emily Reiman of Best Friend Photography. Order yourSASF 2018 Calendar today as limited quantities are available. Your purchase supports Seattle’s homeless animals as they await their forever homes. To learn more about the work of SASF, please visit seattleanimalshelterfoundation.org.

A photo strip with three festive shots from The SnapBar for you to take home.

An online gallery to download your high-resolution digital photos.

Fun props and a festive background.

This a great way to capture an adorable holiday memory while supporting the Seattle Animal Shelter’s lifesaving work.

We want to make sure your furry family members are safe and happy. All dogs should be on leashes, and cats and other critters should be in carriers. No appointments are necessary. For more information, email marketing@seattleanimalshelterfoundation.org.

Terry the Tarantula is just one of the many critters that SAS has cared and found homes for. Meet available critters at Creeptacular!

by Erin Berge

The Seattle Animal Shelter will host its first Creeptacular event on Saturday, Oct. 28, from noon-3 p.m., featuring all available critters ready for adoption and spooky guests.

The event will include a photo booth with costume options as well as participation by the Washington Ferret Rescue and Shelter, the Northwest Hepatology group and a fleet of white guinea pigs. Guests will be able to hand-feed the critters with greens and berries, said Interim Volunteer Supervisor Laura Mundy.

“Creeptacular will bring much-needed attention to the variety of animals available for adoption at SAS and how different critters have very distinct and different needs,” said Mundy.

While many people think “dogs and cats” when it comes to adopting animals, not everyone realizes there are so many more choices at the Seattle Animal Shelter. SAS’ critter room houses animals like rabbits, turtles, guinea pigs and mice. And back in January 2017, SAS briefly cared for Terry – a tarantula!

Critter team volunteer Ellen Gawryla was amazed by the spider’s mellow-nature.

“He had the lightest little footsteps, and you could just kind of hold him,” said Gawryla.

When SAS created Terry’s online adoption profile, unfortunately there was no category option for “tarantula” or “spider.” Having a bit of fun, SAS instead categorized Terry as a llama, noting in his description that he was, in fact, a spider. And the fun continued on social media.

Sam Miller adopted Terry after he spent a month as Terry the llama.

“He’s just cool. I can watch him grow and move,” said Miller.

According to Miller, attention must be paid to Terry’s environment. Feeding him only two to three crickets a week, Miller controls the temperature and moisture level for Terry’s home to keep the spider happy. Although Terry was used to being handled at SAS before adoption, Miller does not force him to crawl around, since the spider’s exterior is extremely fragile.

Miller enjoys watching Terry make spider webs.

“When he makes his webs, he thinks he’s dancing,” said Miller. “He’s just a cool pet.”

The Creeptacular event is a great time to visit SAS and the critter room, which features a large variety of pets available for adoption.

“You may even spot a guinea pig in a costume if you’re lucky!” said Mundy.

The Seattle Animal Shelter, located at 2061 15th Ave. W., is open from noon to 6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, for adoptions and licensing. For more information, call 206-386-PETS (7387) or visit www.seattleanimalshelter.org.

Seattle Police Department’s first female “generalist patrol” police dog to retire after 7 1/2 years of service

Ziva is ready for retirement after 7 1/2 years with SPD’s Canine Unit

With more than 5,000 police calls, 81 felony arrests, 23 misdemeanor arrests and more under her collar, Seattle Police Department’s K9 “Ziva” is ready for retirement this fall, as she nears her 10th birthday. In addition to her crime fighting with her partner A/Sergeant Mark Wong, Ziva has helped raise more than $40,000 over the years for local animal shelters and organizations, including the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.

Ziva broke new ground for “grrrl power” as the first female “generalist patrol” police dog — meaning a person-tracker as opposed to a detection dog that seeks out and detects drugs or other items — to work with the Seattle Police Department Canine Unit. For a few years, she was also the only female generalist patrol dog in the state of Washington. After she and Mark passed their state of Washington and Washington State Police Canine Association certification on Feb. 10, 2011, Ziva caught her first suspect on Feb. 11. From there, she built up her tracks and arrests, earning SPD Canine Unit “Team of the Year” awards in 2013 and 2014.

Ziva and Mark on stage at the SASF auction in 2016

She also found time to be a notable K9 and community ambassador, demonstrating her tracking skills at more than 100 events in Seattle area, performing at the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show and raising money to help dogs and other animals in need. She and Mark became favorites at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s annual Raining Cats and Dogs Auction in which a lucky bidder would win a K9 ride-along experience, joining Ziva and Mark on their third shift patrol.

Mark and Ziva playing tug

“Ziva has had a remarkable career, and the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is thrilled for the opportunity to recognize her contributions to Seattle both on the job as a patrol dog and her off duty ambassador work. Ziva and Mark’s dedication to the welfare of Seattle’s families, including our cats, dogs, and critters, is evident in everything they do, and makes our city a happier, healthier and safer place for everyone,” said Whitney Allen, president of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation.

The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation will recognize and celebrate Ziva at the seventh annual Raining Cats and Dogs Auction on Saturday, Oct. 14. For more information or to get tickets to the event, please visit seattleanimalshelterfoundation.org.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, come to Westlake Park in downtown Seattle, near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Pine Street for a pop-up dog park and pet-friendly and family-friendly activities. There’ll be pet adoptions, a photo booth, food trucks and more, and the dog park will include separate areas for large and small dogs. We’ll be bringing a couple of adoptable guinea pigs to the event, and Seattle residents may purchase pet licenses as well.

We’re happy to take part in Project Paws and look forward to seeing you there!